The Dream of a Guardian
by Kuurankukka
Summary: An old dream he thought he had buried long ago arises again in the heart of the old Guardian, but knowing it may never come true sinks him in deep depression. But is all really as hopeless as it seems? AU
1. Chapter 1

The sun shone bright on the Lookout that day. The old Guardian of Earth marveled at the sight of his two little students sparring on the courtyard while leaning on his staff. Oh, the youthful energy, the laughter, the joy. Despite both young Goku and Krillin were giving their best to win the match, they still managed to do it in a fun way, a way only the mind of a child could come up with. Kami let out a sigh.

"Oh, to be young again…" he thought. The almost never ending energy of the two youngsters was something he was almost jealous of. And who could blame him. At several hundred years old (he had long since stopped counting); he had faced the tolls age brought along in several ways already.

He watched as his male servant and the caretaker of the Lookout, Mr. Popo, arrived and began teaching the two younglings about some new fighting techniques. Even if Kami was much younger than Mr. Popo, one would have thought of the very opposite. This was due to the fact that the genie was ageless. He had never been a child, but also would never age. He had been working for the previous Guardians of Earth as well, at least the last two or three before his reign that Kami knew of. This would make him thousands of years old, the least. Technically the genie was immortal, since he would never die of old age or so. Kami sneered at the thought. Who would even want an eternal life like that?

But that wasn't the real reason the old Guardian was thinking of all this. Yes, he was of very advanced age, and he was very aware that he might not live for too long anymore. He looked back at the two children. Either one of them would probably become his apprentice and successor. Maybe, just maybe though, as it wasn't sure at all whether either of them would be up for the job. He had to be honest with himself though… He hoped either Goku or Krillin would prove to be worthy to become the new Guardian of Earth after he passed away… It's not like there was much of a choice. Though if they declined… He wouldn't know what to do. These two children were the only ones on the planet with the needed potential for the job, as Kami himself didn't have any offspring to take the position after his death, this was the only way. He sighed again, grasping his staff even tighter.

Yes, it was true. He was childless. Not that it was completely uncommon for a Guardian to not have a family… But it wasn't a matter of choice for Kami. He had just never found an appropriate woman to be his wife. Not just one who was worthy to be the wife of the Guardian of Earth… But one that was actually of the same species as him.

Kami sighed once more. You didn't have to even look at him to know he wasn't your regular being from the planet. Or was he from this planet in the first place? The fact is, he didn't know. He stood 7 feet tall, had green skin with once pink - now yellow patches on his arms, body and legs accompanied with red outlines that also went around his body (you wouldn't know this since he's wearing his robes), and had huge pointy ears framing his face and two antennae sticking out on his forehead.

Besides these striking differences between him and the humans, he also had fangs and sharp nails, and many special abilities that he had long since when he was young himself noticed that not many, if any, of the people on Earth possessed. Not to mention his age. He had to be at least 500 years old by then. No mortal being lived that long on the planet.

Those were the reasons why he had never taken a bride. Not that any human woman would have even wanted to have him as her husband… And even if someone had, they would have been long gone by then, as would likely be any offspring they might have had together. That is, if his kind was even compatible with the human race the way that conceiving an offspring was possible the first place.

Kami let out yet another sigh. Nobody knew how painful the subject was for the old Guardian. One might easily have thought of him as the kind of a person who preferred to be a loner and childless, but that was far from the truth. It was true he had grown accustomed to being alone, but it was more due to the fact that he had never had much people around him the first place, and not that it was of his true nature. Not that he wanted to have a ton of people around… But he wouldn't have minded to have a spouse… and especially children. Underlining the word 'children'.

He sighed once again, turning around and casted one final peek at the genie, who had just finished sparring with the two kids. "I'm going back in, Mr. Popo. I'll see you later, Goku, Krillin." With that said, he opened the door and stepped in the building.

"What's wrong with him?" Goku asked, being surprised by the old Guardian's sudden departure.

Mr. Popo stared the door of the palace his master has just disappeared in and left out a sigh.

"I don't know, Goku. Something has been troubling him as of late, but he won't talk about it.

"Oh, what a shame. You think he's going to be okay, Mr. Popo?" The boy continued.

"Yes, I'm sure he is. He just needs some time for himself now."

The boy nodded, turning back to his friend, came closer and suddenly slapped him on his shoulder yelling: "Tag, you're it!", and ran away laughing with his startled bald friend yelling and running right on his heel. Mr. Popo smiled as he looked at the kids, but it disappeared as soon as his gaze fell back on the door. He sighed once more, and left thinking he could as well go and water the plants now, and hoped his master would open up to him about what had made the old man so apprehensive.


	2. Chapter 2

Inside the Lookout, Kami sat himself on his throne and took his Chrystal ball before him. He knew nothing good was going to come out of what he was about to do, but he couldn't help himself. He rubbed the ball's aura and soon many changing images of the Earth were before him. There was a playground with dozens of children of all ages running around and having fun without a care in the world. Proud parents having a keen eye on their offspring on the side while chatting with one another. Mothers that were feeding their newborn babies while having a break from a stroll in a park, and fathers teaching their sons how to ride a bicycle. Seeing all this made him happy but sad the same time, knowing he would never experience the same as these humans did.

But also, he saw a lot of children whose parents didn't have time for them, or didn't take good enough a care of them in some other way, or were even being abused by their parents in various ways, which not only made him terribly sad but also enraged him in ways that made him almost wish he hadn't casted his evil half away so that he'd be able to beat some sense in the skulls of these thickheaded fools who dared to take something as precious and wonderful as their own children for granted! Or worse, treated them like garbage! He just couldn't understand it. What was wrong with these people?

He closed the ball and bent over covering his face with his hands. He stayed in that position for a good while.

Kami sighed once again. He had realized these things had been a lot in his mind as of late, and he kept wondering why. Why was the fact that he had no biological heir bothering him so much and was repeatedly on his mind these days? It had been centuries ago since the subject had been as relevant for him as it was now.

He looked back to his younger days, when he had only recently become the Guardian. He admitted that one of the bigger reasons to why he ever even wanted to become one was that this way he had the access to the very Chrystal ball he had just used. He remembered how anxious he had been to use the ball the very first time and how he didn't do much of anything else for the very first years of his reign.

He had wanted to find other people of his kind by using the ball, as he had never come across any by traveling around the world. He had been hopeful. Perhaps that way he finally could have found where he belonged, and perhaps find himself a mate he needed to start a family, something that had been his dream after being alone for his entire life, living as an outsider among a race that was not of his own kind – and who would have rather hunted him down for being different, than been his friends.

But as years came by and went, the poor Guardian had no choice but to admit his defeat and face the truth; the ball didn't lie. There indeed was not a single being like himself on Earth… Aside himself and his evil half, that he had casted and finally locked away long ago. The realization had been heartbreaking for him. Not only did it mean he would never find himself a spouse, but more importantly… He would never be able to have a family. It had stung him real hard and he had been depressed for years after that. Not even creating the Dragon Balls had solved his problem, since Shenron couldn't create a new soul out of nowhere. So with that door also closed, he had long since given up hope and buried the dream deep within himself trying his best concentrating in being an excellent Guardian instead, as it seemed the only thing he could do. Never wanting to get his hopes up and disappointing again he had hardened his heart and during the next few centuries he had almost managed to forget about the whole thing. After only a few decades nothing even reminded him about this "silly" dream of his any longer, and it had been so until now. So why was the subject up again, he did not understand.

Kami meditated on the subject for a good while. After some time he came to the conclusion that it all had to do with him closing death. His subconscious had to realize he was nearing his end, and needed to ensure that his genetic legacy would live on, thus making him want to have children. He sighed. How selfish could nature be? Had he not just witnessed countless of children being abused and all he could think about is how his own legacy, even if perhaps his entire species' legacy, was closing extinction? Kami was appalled by his thoughts. Such thoughts he considered something that were everything but proper for a person in his position. Maybe it was for the best interest for him that he buried the dream he knew would never come true anyway for good and make sure either Goku or Krillin would be there to take his place after his departure. But why did it feel so meaningless? Why was he hurting so much from the inside? That said he headed towards his chambers with a look on his face that said he could as well die now, as if he had no reason to live for anymore. He sighed. "Oh Kami, you're an old fool. You should know better than this about getting sentimental over something that you know you can never have." He said to himself, closing the door to his private quarters and going to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The days went on and changed to weeks, and later to a couple of months. During this time Mr. Popo had noticed a striking difference in the behavior of his Master. He would often just stay in his room for the whole day and not come out at all; even the dinner he left outside his door was almost always untouched. Or even if he did come out, he most often just wandered aimlessly around the Lookout, leaning on his staff and sighing. The look he bore on his face was no better; to Mr. Popo he looked as if he had just lost the purpose of his life or something. He had tried to make the old Guardian to open up and share whatever worried him, but without much luck. As time went on, the caretaker had decided all he could do was to respect the old man's privacy and not pry any further. Secretly the genie prayed his Master would tell him what was wrong so that they could find a way to help him together, but so far nothing of the sort didn't seem to be happening any time soon. The others; Goku, Krillin, Tien Shin Han, Chiaotzu, Yamcha and Bulma had also learned of the Guardian's depression and wished they could help, but Kami would see no one. But it wasn't until Goku had mentioned about it to Korin, before the old white cat had learned about it. He decided something needed to be done and went to see his old acquaintance.

Apparently this happened to be one of Kami's "better" days since he was in fact out on the courtyard, staring to the distance with a look on his face that could have broken even Yajirobe's heart, if the fat samurai even had one and not just another stomach in its place that is. The old cat approached the Guardian slowly, though he knew that Kami was aware of his presence.

"What brings you up here, Korin?" he finally asked.

The cat decided to cut the formalities just then, seeing how bad the green man's condition really was.

"I don't mean to intrude, but seriously, we need to talk."

"Why? There's nothing to talk about."

"Oh, yes there is, and you know what I'm talking about!"

"I don't want to talk about it." the Guardian snapped.

"Why? You too proud and stubborn to see it's for your own good?"

The persistence of the cat vexed the old man but also got him thinking that maybe everyone would just leave him alone if he opened up a little to someone. He just was so embarrassed by how he felt.

"No. It's just that…You wouldn't understand". He finally said.

"Try me." The cat urged. When Kami didn't say anything, he decided to continue:

"Look. My post is the closest to yours on the entire planet. If anyone could see things the same way you might, that would be me. So, whatever's been bothering you lately, I'm here to listen. So, out with it."

Kami lowered his head and sighed, then turned around and looked at Krillin and Gohan who had come to spar on the courtyard. It was a while until he said anything to the cat who stood about 9 feet away from him, but before he opened his mouth again he turned his back at the cat once more.

"I'd rather really not talk about it, but if it makes you stop bothering me, then alright."

Korin was all ears as Kami, though only very briefly, voiced the very thing that had been bothering him all this time; the fact that he never had a chance to have a family of his own.

The old cat could understand where he was coming from and apologized there was nothing he could do about it. The comment only made Kami lower his head as the meaning sunk in; there really was nothing to do about it. Korin realized his mistake, but it was too late. Kami told him to kindly leave him alone; and the cat, now full of remorse, quietly obeyed. The old Guardian himself went back in his private quarters.

Korin met Mr. Popo briefly before he also had to leave, whispering something in his ear. The look on the caretaker's face changed suddenly from worried to surprised, maybe even a little awkward. Bulma, Yamcha and Tien Shinhan were waiting behind the temple and were eager to find out what it was exactly that depressed the Earth's Guardian so much.  
"Well, what was it?" Bulma asked, curiosity clear in her voice as the caretaker arrived.

Mr. Popo changed his stature a little out of pure awkwardness, briefly glancing to the ground.

"Well, apparently the fact that he never had a family of his own is what's been bothering him." the genie said very carefully.

The amazed look that had been on the genie's face only seconds before was now spreading on everyone else's visage one by one.

"Oh…" Bulma said. "Well, to think of it, it makes sense. He doesn't know anything about who or what he is the first place, nor where he's from. I can imagine that making anyone depressed. But why is it bothering him so much now all of a sudden?"

Mr. Popo looked awkward at what she said, knowing she had misunderstood him.

"No, miss Bulma, I think it's more of the kind of him not having any… progeny of his own, than that."

Suddenly they all wore the same awkward look as he was.

"He wants kids? At his age? Whoa… Where are we gonna find him a chick that would wanna…" Yamcha begun nervously, blushing, but was cut off by Bulma's fist.

"Nowhere, that much is obvious." Bulma said to the suddenly dirt-ridden Yamcha, a vein throbbing on her forehead. Tien chuckled nervously at the lovers' fight.

"But if that's what he wants, and we can't find him a lady friend, then what is there left to do to help him? Would the dragonballs work?"

"I'm afraid not." Mr. Popo said, looking to the ground. "Shenron can't create life and I'm sure Kami would have already used them himself if they were of any help. Besides, they have already been used only a few months ago so we'd have to wait quite a while anyway." He said, sighing in the end.

"To be honest…" Bulma began. "… I don't think there is anything we can do. He obviously doesn't want to talk about it and…"

"…His wish is pretty much impossible to fulfill as it is." Tien continued, looking sad.

They all stared at the ground for a while, admitting their defeat.

So, that said, they had no choice but to agree on that there really was nothing they could do about it and only hoped Kami would find a way out of his depression soon enough on his own. After Mr. Popo said his goodbyes for the trio, he looked back at the temple. Even though he prayed he was wrong, he had a feeling this was far from over.


	4. Chapter 4

Two more months went by, with no change except that now Kami almost never came out of his quarters anymore. On another note he seemed to have gained his appetite back, of which Mr. Popo was grateful for. For about five weeks now Kami had not left his dinner untouched once; and even before that he had touched his food, leaving some leftovers behind but now even that didn't happen anymore. But the genie was understandably still worried for his Master, especially since there was nothing he could do to help him. He feared that he would have to soon begin training for either Krillin or Goku to become the next Guardian, a task he did not look forward to. But the caretaker knew that if Kami's depression wasn't over soon, he probably wouldn't live for too long and a new Guardian would be needed. He didn't like the idea of losing his beloved Master one bit, and all the worrying was seemingly beginning to have its toll on him as well.

He still trained with both kids on a daily basis and always served dinner for them after they were done. Now, though, he had begun giving them a snack in the middle of the training as well since he had noticed some food had gone missing in the kitchen for quite some time now and he was pretty sure it was the always hungry Goku. But when after even the offered snack food still went missing, he began wondering that either it still wasn't enough or that something fishy was going on. He asked the boys about it but they swore it wasn't them. That confused the genie even further since he could feel they were telling the truth.

A couple more weeks passed by and one day when Mr. Popo would usually be watering the flowers, he happened to have forgotten the watering can in the kitchen. When he went in to retrieve it, a scene he never thought he'd ever witness opened before his very eyes. There, in the kitchen, was none other than Kami himself, stuffing his face in a pace that rivaled even Goku's and Yajirobe's at best.

"K-Kami?"

Realising he had been caught made Kami stop suddenly and look at the interrupter. An awkward silence settled between the two as they both stared one another with a startled look on their face. Kami was the first one to snap out of it as the realization of how he must look set in. His gaze fell and he sighed loudly, putting the chicken leg he had been holding on the counter next to the empty half a gallon milk jug, several empty containers and packages of different sort and the almost entirely finished chicken. If Kami had lost any weight during his earlier "fast"; he had gained it all back, and with interest. His cheeks no longer had the scrawny look on them and his belly was visibly bulging from underneath his robes.

"So, it was you. I had my doubts, but I couldn't believe it, so I didn't ask." Mr. Popo said, finally snapping out of his shock.  
Kami didn't say anything, but took a chair from under the table and sat down, still avoiding Mr. Popo's gaze.

"But I should have known that you'd be hungry after eating next to nothing for so long. I could have made you bigger meals if you had just asked, Master."

Kami was silent for a moment, until he finally decided to speak up.

"Mr. Popo… I… I don't think it would have made any difference."

"Why? What do you mean?"

Kami was again quiet for a while, as if trying to think how to say what he was about to say.

"I think there's something wrong with me." The Guardian finally said.

"Wrong?" Mr. Popo asked, getting worried.

The old man nodded. "For quite some time, now."

"Go on." The caretaker requested, fearing the worst.

Kami let out a sigh.

"As you know, I didn't eat much for the longest time. Back then, the mere thought of eating disgusted me. But then again, I knew I couldn't go on for long without eating, so I began forcing myself to eat at least something, even if I could barely keep it down… and sometimes couldn't. Now, then… It's almost like the reverse. I'm always hungry no matter how much I eat, and despite it almost always makes me sick sooner or later, I still want more. I kept to myself, because I didn't want anyone to worry. Let alone see how pathetic I must look." He said, referring to his apparent weight gain.

Mr. Popo didn't know what to think, but one thing was certain; his Master was most definitely not well. And considering the recent developments, it could only mean one thing; the end was drawing near. It had to be. The black man was desperately trying to keep his composure to avoid worrying the old Guardian, while his mind was racing trying to think of what it was that his description had reminded him of. Some sort of eating disorder it was. He'd heard of them from Bulma, apparently they were surprisingly common among people who were depressed for one reason or another. Yeah, that had to be it.

"Oh, my." Mr. Popo slipped, a huge sweat drop appearing on his forehead as the worried look escaped on his face.

"What is it, Mr. Popo?" Kami asked, wondering why the caretaker had been so quiet for so long.

"Oh, it's just that… What you just described reminded me of something Miss Bulma once told me; that when the humans become depressed, their eating habits usually change; sometimes drastically. And some even develop something they call eating disorders. Could it be that… you had one, too?

Kami lowered his head again and sighed. "Who knows? It sure feels like one massive disorder. Look what I've become; I neglect my job, I can't eat right, I'm constantly sick, I feel terrible… I'm a total failure as a Guardian."

He then eyed at the mess he had left behind in the kitchen.

"I should clean this up."

Poor Mr. Popo was practically in stitches at this point.  
"No, Kami, you shouldn't stress yourself even more! What you should do now is to concentrate on getting better. I shall take care of the rest. I-I'll contact Miss Bulma right away and let her examine you."

Kami reluctantly arose from the table and began walking away.

"Alright, you do that. Thank you, Mr. Popo. I shall be in my quarters." Then, he stopped.  
"I guess I should also thank you for training young Goku and Krillin. I hope either one of them will be ready when the time comes… Which might be soon." He added, knowing Mr. Popo knew what he was talking about. This said, he left the kitchen, leaving the now even more stressed caretaker to clean up the mess Kami left behind and arrange his medical check-up, which in his mind practically equated a death sentence.

Slowly he walked back in his bedroom and for the first time in months he decided to confront the inevitable, to look into the mirror to see what he'd become. He opened the curtains to let the sunlight in so that he could see his image properly. The mood in the now fully lit bedroom changed immediately, though the light also revealed the mess the place was, since he hadn't had the energy to even make his own bed once during all this time. But the light did add a nice feel and it made Kami feel a bit happier for once.  
He approached the huge mirror in the corner his eyes closed and, leaving out a sigh, he opened them. What he saw didn't really surprise him. He looked old and weary, withered even. That was nothing new. But now, he was also fat. Not Yajirobe-fat, but still pretty fat. His cheeks had rounded and his belly was huge. Surprisingly there wasn't much else. Kami disrobed himself and turned to his side. Yeah, there was most definitely fat in places that had never been there before. He noticed that despite being huge, his belly was still pretty firm, but he guessed it wouldn't take long for it to lose its shape either.  
The old Guardian sighed once more and put his hand on his belly, rubbing it a little in shame. How could he have let himself to get into this condition? He should have…

Suddenly, Kami stopped still. Had he felt something? He moved his hand across his belly once more.

"Nothing. I must be sensing things now, too. It's crazy." he thought, looking at his image in the mirror.

"Face it, Kami, you've become too old. You're losing it." Then suddenly, he felt it again. He tried with his other hand in the same place and felt it now, too. It was faint, barely recognizable, but it was there.

"A ki?"

It was a ki that was not his own, even though similar. The look on his face changed drastically.  
"But how is this possible? It can't be! I must be sensing things, it can't possibly…" he said, but now that he had felt it, he couldn't un-feel it, no matter how much he tried.

"I don't understand it! Because, the only way it should even be possible was if I was… if I was…" And then the realization hit in. Within seconds the look on his face changed from disbelief to overwhelming shock, turning eventually into the widest smile he had ever worn on his face, as tears of happiness casted down his cheeks while he fell on his bed, pleasantly laughing from the bottom of his heart.


	5. Chapter 5

The following day was sunny like the previous. Mr. Popo was out training with Goku and Krillin, when all of a sudden Kami stepped out of the Lookout, humming with a bright smile on his face. He filled his lungs with the fresh morning air and let it out with a sigh of pure content. Everyone stopped in their place as they stared in wonder at the sudden change in Kami's behavior.

Kami continued his stroll happily and stopped when he noticed the others.  
"Ah, good morning Mr. Popo, children." he greeted. "What a lovely day today, isn't it?"  
Goku was the first one to snap out of the shock, and he ran towards the Guardian.  
"Good to see you around, Kami! Are you feeling better?"  
"Oh, much better, Goku." The Guardian answered, ruffling the boy's hair.  
"Why don't you go sparring with Krillin, I need to borrow Mr. Popo for a while." he continued.  
"Sure thing!" Goku agreed, and ran towards the other side of the Lookout, grabbing Krillin by his hand on the way and literally dragging the still shocked bald kid along.

"K-Kami…" Mr. Popo said, taking a step closer to his Master. He still didn't how what to make of this sudden change in Kami's behavior.  
"You're doing wonders to them." The Guardian noted, referring to the advancement in the children's power; suddenly remembering what he originally had come to see the caretaker for.  
"Oh, yes! Mr. Popo, would you happen to have any paint? I tried to look for some but couldn't find any."  
"Umm… Yes, I think so. Why?" The black man asked, still very confused by Kami's sudden chipper mood.  
"Oh, I just thought my room could use some re-decorating." The Guardian said, smirking mysteriously.  
"Oh, alright…" Mr. Popo said, still looking like a big black question mark.  
"Well, what color would you like the walls to be painted to?" he asked, wondering what was wrong with the current, maroon walls.  
"Oh, well what I had in mind was something in the lines of yellow and white... And maybe adding some light blue in order to separate the two; as the border."  
Mr. Popo found also the new choice of colors most peculiar. What on Earth was going on?  
"I'll be arranging my room so that you may begin the job immediately. I'll see you soon, Mr. Popo." Kami said, leaving the scene the same way he had arrived; humming happily.  
The caretaker was left alone speechless, staring at the departing back of his Master.  
"Well, I'll be." Was all he could say, before he also left to retrieve the paints and other necessary items Kami had requested.

When he returned, he came across the old Guardian in the corridors of the Lookout.  
"Oh, there you are, Mr. Popo. Come, everything is ready for the paint job."  
As they walked towards Kami's private quarters, the caretaker could no longer help but ask what was going on.  
"Kami?" he asked.  
"Yes, Mr. Popo?"  
"I hope you don't mind me asking… But why all the sudden changes? You were depressed for so long and now you're like a completely different person. And what's with the sudden desire to re-paint your walls?"  
The old Guardian chuckled. "I see where you're coming from. Let's just say that until yesterday, there was no reason for me to be happy."  
The black man became curious. "And now there is? What happened yesterday that made you so happy?"  
By now they had reached the door to Kami's room and stopped. A faint purple hue spread on the cheeks of the Guardian, as a coy smile appeared on his face as he turned his sight away from the caretaker a little awkwardly. He also began gently stroking his belly and this puzzled Mr. Popo greatly.  
"Yes. The Most Supreme has blessed me in a greater way that I, his servant, could have never even dared to think possible. And as for the walls… Well, I just didn't think the maroon color would do justice to a nursery." Kami smiled, mysteriously.  
"A what?" The fat genie asked, not sure if he had heard his Master right.  
"You see, Mr. Popo… Only the Most Supreme knows how, but… I… I have a strong reason to believe that I am with child." the Guardian said, blushing, holding onto his belly in an affectionate way.

Mr. Popo couldn't believe his ears. He just stared at his Master with his mouth open wide as Kami opened the door to his quarters; and the sight the caretaker met did not improve his state of shock, more like the opposite.  
Though everything had been moved in the middle of the huge room to give him space to paint the walls, Mr. Popo immediately spotted two items that he had never seen before. Right next to Kami's king-sized bed was a small, but very beautiful crib and a little further was a pretty, little change table. There was no doubt Kami had stayed up late while making them.  
"I'll be going now." Kami said, while Mr. Popo just kept staring at the room. "I've neglected my duties long enough, so I have lots to catch up on. You know where to find me after you're done."

That said, the Guardian left the room and closed the door. It took a while for Mr. Popo to snap out of his shock and when he did, only one thought occupied his mind:  
"Kami has gone mad…"


	6. Chapter 6

Thankfully Mr. Popo was a skilled painter, so even in his still a little shocked state, painting the walls of Kami's huge bedroom didn't take him but a mere few hours. The paint he used was also a very rapidly drying kind, so by the same evening everything in the room could be put back to their place.  
He had just finished his job, when he heard Bulma's flying craft landing on the Lookout.  
"Splendid." He thought. "Their timing was perfect."

He ran outside having just cleaned himself up, and greeted Bulma and her father, Dr. Briefs, as they stepped outside of the ship. He wasn't surprised when he noticed that Yamcha and Puar were with them. Just as Mr. Popo was about to tell them what the situation was, Tien Shinhan landed on the Lookout with Chiaotzu. They had been visiting Korin and seen Bulma's ship approaching so they had thought to come and see what was going on.

Knowing Kami was still in the seeing room, he began to fill in his audience about the recent developments, starting with Kami's long lasted depression and lack of appetite, to regaining his appetite by a tenfold, his nausea, his gained weight, the caretaker's suspicions about his Master having an eating disorder, and then the most recent complete change in Kami's mood for the better and his new, most ridiculous and utterly crazy fixation.  
"… And now he thinks everything that's been going on is because of he is… with child." Mr. Popo finished, blushing in the end.

The look on everyone's faces was of utter shock and disbelief.  
"He… He thinks he's… _pregnant!_" Yamcha asked, voicing what everyone must have been thinking at that point.  
"Apparently so." The caretaker confirmed. "He even requested me to re-paint his walls in order for them to be more suitable for a nursery this morning and he has already made a crib and a change table for "the baby"."  
"He is… He is out if his mind!" Tien said, with a worried shock written all over his face.  
"Well, no kidding!" Yamcha agreed. "He should know that men can't have babies!"  
"Oh, w-wow." Bulma managed to stutter, out of her shock. "Now this is a most interesting development."  
"Indeed it is, honey." Dr. Briefs confirmed.  
"Do you have any idea of what might have caused all this?" his daughter asked.  
"I have my suspicions, yes. But I need to talk to Kami himself first."

"Oh yeah, where is he?" Yamcha asked, only to have his question answered immediately, as they all of a sudden heard Kami's voice coming from behind them:  
"What's going on? Oh, hello everyone! I wasn't expecting so many guests today." He smiled.  
"Now tell me, what can I do for you?"  
"Master, don't you remember?" Mr. Popo asked. "I contacted Dr. Briefs yesterday to come and perform a medical check-up on you."  
"Ohh, that's right! I had totally forgotten about that!" The old Guardian slapped on his forehead gently in embarrassment.  
"Please forgive me, Dr. Briefs, I've had so many things in my mind lately that I can't possibly keep up with everything. What would I do without my ever-so-loyal servant, Mr. Popo." He smiled, flatteringly, putting his hand on the black genie's shoulder.  
"And that reminded me! I just returned from my room; the paint-job was flawless, as usual. Excellent work, Mr. Popo!"  
"Why, thank you… Kami. The pleasure is all mine." The caretaker replied, awkwardly.  
"Humbleness never suited you well; you deserved every bit of that." Kami teased his servant a little, but then quickly changed the subject:  
"Alright then, shall we get going? I'm sure you're running on a busy schedule, Dr. Briefs."  
"Not at all. Will you lead us to someplace where we can be in private?" the Doctor replied.  
"I'm sure one of our guest rooms should be sufficient enough. Follow me." Kami said, motioning the Doctor to follow his lead. They entered the Lookout, leaving the others behind.

What everyone had failed to notice was that Goku and Krillin had been spying on them and had heard everything. Krillin was in shock as much as everyone else was, but Goku was scratching his head in wonder, like he hadn't understood something.  
"Krillin?" he asked. "What does "pregnant" mean?"  
The bald child was instantly snapped out of his shock when he heard the question.  
"Don't you know anything? When someone's pregnant, it means they are going to have a baby!"  
"How cool!" Goku exclaimed, happily.  
"So Kami is going to have the family he always wanted, right?"  
"No, you idiot!" Krillin facepalmed, in embarrassment at his friend's stupidity.  
"Men can't have babies, not like that! Only women can!"  
"How come?" Goku asked, a little hurt.  
Krillin blushed, and then paled a little in horror when he thought about explaining it all to his friend.  
"Uhh, never mind. But hey, I know! Let's go spy on Kami and Dr. Briefs!" he changed the subject quickly to avoid having to tell Goku about the birds and the bees, and grabbed his hand as they ran under the guest rooms' windows. It didn't take long to find the right one. The Doctor and the Guardian were in the middle of a conversation.

"Now, I understand having a child has been a long time dream of yours?" he asked.  
"Yes, ever since I was young. Lately, it's been constantly in my mind though." The Guardian replied.  
"Was that the reason why you became so depressed?" Dr. Briefs continued.  
Kami sighed. "It was. For some reason the idea of never having children of my own took away all my will to live. Maybe it is why the Most Supreme decided to bless me with this child. I at least can't think of anything so good that I've done that I'd deserve this or how else this could be possible the first place. Nevertheless, I couldn't be happier."  
"I see." The Doctor said, writing something down in his notebook.  
"The depression lasted for several months, correct?"  
"Yes, that is correct." Kami confirmed.  
"And disappeared yesterday the moment you realized your, uh, your "condition"?"  
"Yes."  
"Alright." Dr. Briefs stated, lowering his notebook for a while.

"I'm going to ask some questions regarding your health now. Mr. Popo mentioned something about you having troubles with eating. Could you elaborate about that?"  
"Hnh." the green man uttered a short laugh. "Yes, there's been some. I began getting easily nauseated a couple months back so I didn't eat much of anything for the longest time. But after I slowly gained my appetite back I realized no matter how much I ate, it wasn't enough. And still it would make me nauseated in the end. But I can see why I've been so hungry, it was all for the baby, which also explains the weight gain." he smiled, patting his belly gently.  
"Hmmmm…" Dr. Briefs uttered, silently, while again scribbling something on his notebook.  
"Have you had any other symptoms? Like, back-pain, constipation or such?" he asked.  
"Well… as a matter of fact, I think I have." Kami said, blushing a little.  
"But I didn't think much about it. You know, you get all kinds of ailments at my age."  
"Uh-huh." the Doctor seemed to agree, writing it down.  
"Have you...felt any movements of the…uh, "child"?

After hearing this question Kami's gaze fell a little.  
"No, I don't think I have." he replied, seemingly losing some of his earlier enthusiasm.  
"I see. Then how can you be so sure about… you know?" Dr. Briefs asked, doubt clear in his voice.  
"Oh, there's no doubt about it. I can feel its energy. It's faint, but it's there." Kami replied, holding his hand over his belly.  
"Interesting." the Doctor noted, writing something in his notebook, putting it in his pocket and standing up.  
"I'm going to investigate you a little now." he said, taking out a stethoscope from his bag.  
"I need you to take off your robes, if that's alright."  
"Oh, sure, of course." Kami said, pulling his robes over his head.

Dr. Briefs took his time listening to Kami's belly first, very carefully and from several angles. After doing that, he wrote something down on his notebook again and then performed a physical on Kami. After he was finished, he packed his equipment back in his bag and capsulized it.  
"Well." The Doctor began. "It seems that you're physically as healthy as you can be. Everything is just the way it should."  
"Oh, I'm so glad to hear that." Kami replied, sounding very pleased.  
"So, I'll let you to return to your work, I just need to make one phone call, if you excuse me." Dr. Briefs said, leaving the room.  
"By all means. Thank you, Dr. Briefs." The Guardian said, smiling, and went back to his earlier duties.


	7. Chapter 7

Outside the Lookout, the others were discussing about what was going on. Almost everyone had their own hypothesis on what had made Kami think he was expecting a child.  
"He's just delusional. Old age must have caught up with him." Yamcha said, sounding pretty certain.  
"Yeah. Or who knows, maybe this has to do with his depression. Maybe he also has some other psychological condition, like schizophrenia or something. It's not normal to be so depressed for so long and for it to disappear just like that and change into an almost euphoric state of joy." Tien wondered.  
"You both have a point, yet I'm not completely certain myself." Bulma said. "Call it a woman's intuition or whatever, but I have a feeling that there's something else going on."  
"Yeah, like what? You don't actually believe in what he says?" Yamcha asked, skeptically.  
"Honestly, I don't know what to believe anymore. After dealing with magical wish-granting dragons and a super-strong boy with a monkey-tail, I guess I can also believe in a green-skinned, pointy-eared old man with antennae becoming pregnant. I'm still not entirely sure, though. The suddenness in his change of mood does remind me of a number of psychological disorders alone, even if his pregnancy was for real."  
Tien sighed. "I suppose you have a point, but let's face it: this all has been a little too sudden and convenient considering his hopes of having a child, and taking into account his health and his old age…As much as I'd want it to be true, but my money is on insanity."

"What do you think, Mr. Popo?" Yamcha asked.  
"I really don't know." The black genie said, looking down sadly. "I would also want it to be true, but unfortunately experience tells me that almost every Guardian I've ever worked for became sort of eccentric when they were coming close to their departure. I hate to say this, but I have my doubts if Kami is really fit for the job anymore." he finished.  
They were all quiet for a while. None of them liked the idea of Kami being the Guardian no longer, but they all had to admit the recent happenings spoke their crude language about the old man's mental health and if it kept going on, they all knew he wouldn't be able to carry on for long anyway.

It was then, that Dr. Briefs stepped out of the Lookout. They were all curious to hear his diagnosis.  
"Dad!" Bulma exclaimed, as her father joined with them again.  
"Did you find out what's wrong with him?" she asked, enthusiastically.  
"Yeah, Doc! Tell us!" Yamcha pleaded, impatiently.  
"Yes, I did. First I needed to consult a friend of mine who is a specialist though, since I'm not a Doctor of Medicine after all; I only studied Medicine as my second subject and didn't get any further from my Candidacy. But he agreed with my diagnosis."  
"So, what was it?" Tien asked. "Is he really pregnant or…"  
"No, he is not. But it's not really a surprise, is it? Poor guy. I even listened to his belly just to make sure, after he claimed he could feel the "child's" energy in there, but no matter which angle I listened from, I couldn't hear a heartbeat. Which reminds me; guys, since you know about sensing energy, did you feel anything amiss in Kami's ki-signal? Anything that would support what he claims he feels?"  
Tien, Chiaotzu, Yamcha and Mr. Popo's gazes fell at what they heard. They all confirmed that they indeed hadn't felt anything different in Kami's energy.  
"As much as I thought." Dr. Briefs concluded.  
"If he is not pregnant, what makes him think he was? Is he crazy or what?" Yamcha asked.

"I wouldn't call him "crazy", just emotionally distressed. He has a psychosomatic condition called Couvade syndrome. It's a condition where a man experiences the same physical changes as their pregnant wife or girlfriend does, including morning nausea and developing a large belly as well as other things. Usually it only affects Father's-to-be who are expecting their first child, but this is the first time even my friend had ever heard of a man who not only hasn't been around a pregnant woman developing the condition but also believing to be pregnant himself. So it is very possible he has some form of a bi-polar depression with mild psychotic features aside this, but it's too soon to tell. We need to keep an eye on him and see how his condition develops from here."

"Bummer. It would have been awesome if he had been pregnant though… Think about what kind of a scientific phenomenon it would've been." Bulma said, bringing out her inner scientist.  
"Poor guy. He must be devastated." Tien said, feeling sad for the old Guardian.  
"Yeah, how did he take it?" Yamcha asked.  
"Well, I…actually didn't tell him." Dr. Briefs stated, suddenly.  
"Huh? But, why?" Bulma asked, surprised.  
Her Father sighed. "Well, honey, I only needed to ask if he had felt the "child's" movements, in which he answered he hadn't, that I could see him losing some of the sparks in his eyes. As much as I hate to admit it, I don't think his heart could bear the truth. He will likely realize it sooner or later anyway, but at least now he has a reason to be happy. I'm afraid telling the truth would only revert him back to his depressed state, increasing his inner turmoil and thus only bringing forth his demise sooner."  
"You're right, I've never seen him happier. The truth would be his end for sure." Mr. Popo agreed, looking very sad.  
"So, I think it was better that we played along for now. Not like going with him in the delusion, but we shouldn't correct him either. Perhaps that way we ease his pain at least a little."  
"Yeah, I guess you're right…" Yamcha said, quietly agreeing.  
"Man, what a mess." Tien sighed. "The world without Kami and the Dragon balls… How can we ever survive without him?"

Speaking of the devil, just as Tien had finished his sentence, Kami stepped out of the Lookout and Goku ran towards him with Krillin right behind him.  
"Kami!" The boy yelled. "Is it really true that you're having a baby?" he asked, enthusiastically.  
"Oh, my." the old Guardian said, blushing slightly. "Now where did you hear that from?"  
"Well, Krillin and I were sp…" was all Goku managed to say, when Krillin suddenly silenced him by grabbing him over the mouth from behind.  
"We heard it from Popo." he quickly added, not wanting everyone to learn what they had been doing.  
"I see." Kami said, smiling at the children; and then knelt down on Goku's level.  
"And yes, it is true, young Goku."  
The boy laughed in excitement. "When is it going to arrive here?"  
At this, the Guardian didn't really know and answer to:  
"Well…I'm not entirely sure. But probably not too long from now." he said, smiling and stood back up. It was just now that Goku actually noticed the Guardian's enlarged stomach.

"Whoa, Kami! Did you swallow a soccer ball or something? Your tummy is huge!" the child exclaimed, in naïveté.  
Everyone else, except Kami and Goku, blushed at the comment and fell on the floor, anime style. Kami himself only blushed and laughed at what the boy had said, he should have known Goku didn't know much about these things.  
"Oh, no Goku! It's because the child that I'm expecting is growing in there."  
The poor kid looked horrified of what he had heard.  
"What! Don't tell me you ate it!"  
Now this was a comment that took the poor Guardian completely off guard and he also fell on the floor.  
When he came back up, he chuckled awkwardly:  
"Goodness, no! Where did you get such a ridiculous idea from?" he asked, embarrassed.  
"Well, how did it get in there, then?" Goku asked, pouting.  
The question took Kami aback. He really wasn't sure how to explain it.  
"Well…I must admit, Goku, that I'm not entirely sure how, myself. But it has grown inside of me ever since it was tinier than a grain of wheat. After it has grown big enough, it will come out." the Guardian construed, hoping to not have aroused any more questions.  
"Really?" the eyes of the monkey-tailed boy lit up, as he reached up his hands on the old man's belly.  
"How cool is that?" he said, beginning to talk to the belly:  
"Hey, in there! Come out soon, I can't wait to play with you!"  
Kami smiled contently, while the others just stared at the scene, feeling awkward. Telling the truth for Kami was one thing, but explaining it all to Goku would most definitely prove out to be even more difficult.


	8. Chapter 8

Poor Mr. Popo. Poor Bulma. Poor just about everyone, except for Kami and Goku.

The kid was still excited over the idea of getting a new playmate, and kept bugging Bulma and the other adults with questions about where babies came from; never getting anything but very vague answers. Frustrated, he then decided to ask Krillin, who insisted he knew everything about it, but still Goku wasn't satisfied with the explanations he got. Despite he wasn't perhaps the sharpest tool in the box; he could tell he was left some major details out, simply by the amused look on the other kid's face.

"I don't get this birds and bees thing. And in which part does the stork come in? But… if the baby is in Kami's belly, how come the stork is the one who delivers it? How does it come out, anyway?"

"The stork has a very long beak, you remember?" Krillin asked. Goku nodded, confirming.

"So, when the baby is big enough, the stork will appear and cut Kami's belly open with its beak and take the baby out!"

"What! No way!" Goku yelled, in horror.

"Uhhuh, yes way! Krillin said, having too much fun in messing up his friend's head.

"Prove it!" Goku insisted.

"Alright." the bald kid said, smiling devilishly.

"Then, expose your tummy!" he ordered, doing the same. Goku obeyed, not getting what was the point but did it anyway. Krillin pointed out his bellybutton.

"See? That's the scar the stork's beak leaves on your skin! You have one too, just like everybody!"

"Really? Wow! So it is true!" Goku said, amazed.

"But doesn't it hurt a lot?" he asked, a little worried.

"Oh yes, it hurts like no tomorrow! Most parents don't even make it alive! It's really disgusting!"

"Really? the monkey-tailed child stared at his friend, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. He really admired his friend for being so wise and knowing stuff!

"I wonder if that's what happened to my dad, too! And then Grampa Gohan had to take care of me!"

Krillin fell on the floor anime style at his comment. This really wasn't going according to the plan, at all.

Meanwhile, the old Guardian seemed to be several decades younger by the day and was getting more work done in a single day than he used to get in an entire week in his depressed state. And getting things done seemed to perk him up even further. He was ordering Mr. Popo around to make the Lookout baby-proof. All sharp angles and edges everywhere had to be cushioned so that the baby wouldn't hurt himself (his head mainly), and the edge of the Lookout had to be enclosed with a barrier so that he wouldn't fall down. He had to make sure he had no poisonous flowers planted in the garden and make sure anything the baby could get his hands on that he shouldn't, would be far out of reach. This included all of Mr. Popo's cleansers, tools, and of the sort; and anything small enough for the baby to devour or stick in his nose. The caretaker did his duties the best he could to complete his part of the agreement between the others to live with this delusion of Kami's, but today he thought the old Guardian had gone too far. He didn't know where the green man had gotten the idea in his head this time from, but now he'd actually ordered him to clean up and dispose every single pebble on the courtyard. At times like this he almost felt like he should just spill the beans to his Master and end this nonsense, but he simply didn't have the heart to do it. The genie could see the depth of the joy the old Guardian was experiencing, not only by the huge change in his spirits but especially after this one night when the caretaker had been bringing Kami his supper…

The door to the Guardian's private quarters hadn't been locked and was slightly ajar, so he'd thought he'd bring the food right in. But what the black genie saw, had made him stop right there in his tracks, speechless. His Master had been peacefully rocking back and forth on the rocking chair in the moonlight, gently brushing his belly and talking to it lovingly. The very look on his Master's face had already said it all, but with everything else added, a picture of the scene before him could have very well been the encyclopedia definition for the word 'perfectly content'. Kami had been so engulfed in the moment that he hadn't even heard his servant coming in and leaving his supper on a table and closing the door as he left. Indeed, if this delusion brought that much of pure joy for his Master, he wouldn't be the one breaking his heart with the truth. But he still didn't like picking up the pebbles.

Speaking of the devil, the Guardian just stepped out on the courtyard, filling his lungs with the fresh air and letting it out with a happy sigh, like he used to do a lot these days. He saw his servant on the job and decided to have a friendly little chat with him.

"Ah, Mr. Popo. How is the work progressing?" he asked, kindly.

The black man felt a little awkward.

"Well, there and there, Master, but is this all… really necessary?" he asked, carefully. "Not that I won't do it, but I can't help but think that… maybe this is a little bit of... exaggeration."

The old man left out a chuckle. "Maybe a little sudden, but not exaggeration at all." Kami said, smirking.

"I just want everything to be perfect for the baby. And I know there shall be even more pebbles for you to dispose when he will be old enough to crawl, so I thought it was better if you picked the most up now and the rest later."

"Ah, I see. Very well, Kami." The poor genie couldn't really argue his Master's reasoning.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Well, nothing aside a nice, big dinner later. The baby is hungry." Kami said, letting out a small cough. For understandable reasons, the comment made poor Mr. Popo feel even more awkward.

He didn't know whether Kami heard his thoughts or what, but before his Master entered back in the Lookout, he stopped his back turned at his servant and changed his tone into a bit more serious:

"I know you're all thinking that I've gone crazy, and I really can't blame you either... I would probably think the same if the situation was reverse. But it is really touching how you're all willing to "play along" for the sake of my happiness and I want to thank you for it, Mr. Popo." Kami said, coughing again a little in the end.

The Genie said nothing, just stared on the courtyard flooring, feeling very embarrassed. He should have known you can't hide anything from the Earth's Guardian.

"I very much appreciate what you're all doing, but you really don't have to. I know what I feel is real and nothing is changing my mind about it. My heart will not be broken, so you don't need to worry, Mr. Popo." This time he could hardly finish what he said, when he suddenly began coughing even more and with more intensity. This caught even Mr. Popo's attention and his eyes widened in horror as he saw his Master's face going pale and him falling down, doubling over in pain and losing his meal right there in front of the entrance of the Lookout.


	9. Chapter 9

"K-Kami!" Mr. Popo exclaimed, running to help the old Guardian back up. His Master was suddenly breathing very heavily and some thick mucus was running out of his mouth, down his jaw, his legs barely carrying his weight.

"What happened?" The genie asked, worried.

"I… I don't know." Kami replied, breathing heavily. "I've been having these sudden waves of nausea a lot lately but they have never been this intense… or painful."

"Oh, no!" Mr. Popo said, looking worried, as the old Guardian doubled over once again, heaving even heavier but this time only another load of mucus came out. His thoughts were moving rapidly:

"This is not good, not good… Oh, no… Could it be… Could it be that… That this is it? Kami is going to die and I'll be all alone again! NO!" The poor genie thought, panicking.

The green man had fallen on his knees by this point, clutching to his large belly which seemed to move in a very odd manner, if you looked closely. Mr. Popo didn't notice this though, and neither did Kami, as he was still busy recovering from the last wave of nausea. As the old man finally got a break from the pain and heaving, a thought entered his mind:

"What is going on? … Could it be… Could it be that… That this is it?" he thought as yet another wave of nausea hit him. The pain was moving upwards, he could feel it. They were regular and getting stronger, sort of like… Contractions! He immediately put his hands on his stomach, as if examining it and he exclaimed happily as he realized the big bulge that was his belly had moved slightly upwards. This indeed was it!

"Mr. Popo!" Kami called the panicking black man. "I need to get into my room immediately! I think I know what's going on."

"Oh, o-of course, Kami, right away!" The genie said, hassling around, but finally managing to settle down enough and helping his Master in his private quarters and laying him on the bed.

The poor Mr. Popo was at breaking point as he watched his, from the genie's point of view, suffering Master, lying helplessly on his bed, breathing heavily and heaving, and regurgitating some more mucus every once in a while on the thick layer of cloths he had put on all around the bed. Kami saw how distressed his servant was and decided to try and speak to him.

"It's alright, Mr. Popo. This is it. You don't have to worry. It's all natural – a part of life. I've been more than ready for this for a long time." he said, heaving heavily while doing so, with an odd hint of satisfaction on his face.

For some reason this didn't make the poor Genie any more relaxed, more like the complete opposite.

"No, Kami, no! This can't be! I'm not ready for this!" He said, his eyes swelling up in tears.

The old Guardian was a little confused at his servant's reaction.

"I understand if you're not ready to accept the truth, but it won't be long now until you'll see it with your own eyes. I know I can hardly believe this myself… This is not really how I always imagined this would happen. Life really is full of surprises, isn't it? … Oh, please don't cry, Mr. Popo. This is a joyful occasion for me. Despite I'm in pain, I know it will be worth and will end before I know it. Oh, I can't wait to hold the little one in my arms!" He said, stopping every once in a while to catch his breath. And now he was heaving again and regurgitating more mucus, but with a strange, satisfied smile on his face.

Mr. Popo got up from by his Master's bedside and excused himself. He couldn't just watch it without doing anything. He refused to believe Kami was going to leave him like this, and was taking it so lightly, and was still insisting on his delusions. So he called for Dr. Briefs and Bulma to come on the Lookout immediately. There had to be something done about it. Just had to.

As the distressed genie returned by his Master's side, he changed a new cloth after removing the soiled one, as he seemed to be exuding the mucus pretty much constantly now.

"Where were you?" Kami asked, sounding very weary, as his voice had suddenly become hoarse.

"Dr. Briefs and Miss Bulma are on their way." he answered, trying to sound as composed as possible, though Kami just smiled:

"Good. I guess they would like to witness this. It's a once in a lifetime experience, I'm sure." He said, coughing and heaving in the end.

Mr. Popo was very anxious now. Why was his Master saying such strange things all the time? Didn't he realize what was going on?"

"Mr. Popo?" Kami asked, carefully, as the pains became more intense for a change.

"Yes, Master?" he answered, worried.

"Could you… could you, please… massage my back?" The Guardian asked, a little shyly.

The black man was taken aback by this request and just stood still for a while.

"I think… it would ease the pain a little." the green man explained himself, seemingly easing up the sudden tension between the Master and servant.

"Just… do it." Kami requested, as Mr. Popo stepped to the other side of the bed, the side his Master's back was facing, and got closer, beginning to gently rub the back of the ailing man. Mr. Popo felt a little awkward by doing this but Kami on the other hand, distinctly relaxed and the moans of his heavy breathing changed their tone from laboring to… satisfaction. As the servant realized the calming effect his massage was having on his Master, he became more self assured in his movements, earning him more moans of pleasure. Neither of them realized this, but the look on Kami's face was pure bliss, one could say almost orgasmic, at this point (though not in a sexual way, mind you).

The massage indeed eased up the pain a lot, as the contractions got stronger and stronger. Kami could feel something moving upward within him. He felt his belly; the bulge was almost gone as it had entered deeper in the chest area, making it harder to breathe. This is where the massage proved itself invaluable; it not only helped to ease the pain, but also made it easier for him to breathe.

This is how Dr. Briefs, Bulma, Tien Shinhan, Yamcha, Krillin and Goku found them only a few moments later. The awkwardness of the situation was soon forgotten as Kami began regurgitating even more mucus; and a lot more intensively than before. Yamcha was so grossed out by what he saw that he left the room, dragging Goku and Krillin with him, insisting they were too young to witness such things. Dr. Briefs and Bulma hassled around the laboring man and were stunned as they realized the bulge of Kami's belly had traveled up to his chest, and seemed to be moving even further up.

Breathing had become even harder for the poor Guardian, and in order to find a better position to breathe, he stood up on all fours, heaving heavily as every contraction moved the bulge towards his throat. All four of the others were watching in awe as it slowly dawned to them that whatever the bulge in Kami's belly had been, was likely soon to emerge from his mouth. They were all silent as they carefully, but alarmingly, examined the laboring man, whose air supply had just now been shut by the bulge as it was slowly entering Kami's throat. Then something happened; the thing had likely triggered his gag reflex because the process had a sudden speed-up. It didn't take long for the thing to arrive through the throat into Kami's mouth, forcing his jawbones out of their hinges, distorting his face in a sickly manner, making it difficult to watch. Then, with one final spasm, an oval, white sphere landed on the sheets next to the exhausted Guardian, who fell on the bed right there and then, busy catching his breath, smiling widely the same time as his eyes quickly searched the product of his intense labor. In utter disbelief the members of the audience rubbed their eyes one by one as it finally sunk in that what they had just witnessed was true. There, cradled in the still heavily breathing Guardian's arms, was a huge, oval shaped, mucus covered, white egg.


	10. Chapter 10

"I … I did it…!" Kami said, hoarsely and out of breath, with a smile on his face that was the definition of pure bliss and relief, letting out a few little coughs in the end. A tender flow of tears began to pour down his face, as he embraced the egg affectively, the rest of the room and the people in it disappearing from him; as if nothing else existed in the world in that very moment.

"I actually did it…!"  
The egg was huge, almost the size of Kami's head, ivory colored and oval shaped. With shaking hands, Kami pulled out a clean cloth from underneath the soiled ones and began wiping it clean of the mucus. Its surface felt warm to touch, and the energy of his offspring was loud and clear within. The tears in his eyes wouldn't stop pouring, as the smile on his face grew larger. The happiness he felt was near overwhelming, as he now had something real to touch, to feel and see. His offspring was no longer only a collection of physical symptoms, but something real, something else than just an age-old daydream or an imaginative picture in his head. He was actually holding the egg that housed his son. He could hardly believe his fortune, let alone it being even possible the first place. And by the looks of the others in the room, neither could they.

Mr. Popo didn't say anything, just stared at the scene with his mouth open wide, his mind racing a hundred miles an hour. Was it so, that he had just witnessed his Master giving birth to an egg? No, it couldn't be possible. It had to be a dream. This all was too much for the already stressed servant.

A sudden loud thump awakened the others from their stupor.

"D-dad…?" Bulma asked her father, sounding very unsure, and her eyes bulging out of their sockets.  
"Are you seeing, what I'm seeing?"

"I… If what you're seeing is a giant egg, then I think so, honey." Dr. Briefs answered, baffled.

"Good… 'Cause for a minute I thought I'd lost my mind!"

"My God…" Tien said, awestruck.

Kami just smiled, not being able to take his eyes off of the now carefully swaddled egg that he held as close to his body as he could.

The old Guardian looked so happy that the others, not wanting to ruin his moment, stayed quiet for a good time afterwards, and just stared as the green man affectively stroked and embraced his newly-laid egg. And as they were still so baffled by all that had happened; nobody even noticed that Mr. Popo was no longer standing behind Kami's bed.

"Let me in!" Goku yelled behind the door.

"Goku, I told you…!" Yamcha tried, but in vain.

"But I wanna see!" the kid continued and pushed the former bandit out of the way and ran in, Krillin right behind his trail. Everyone turned their eyes off of Kami to see what was going on, as the young monkey-tailed kid ran in right next to the Guardian's bed.

"Is the baby here, yet? Did the stork come?" He asked, enthusiastically.

Everyone except Kami fell down anime style and Goku looked around, confused, scratching his head. "What?"

Kami chuckled at the child's innocence.

"Have a look at here, Goku." he said, gently, and lifted the egg up, in his arms from underneath his blanket.

Krillin and Yamcha were shocked to see the egg, but Goku was exhilarated.

"Is the baby inside the egg?" he asked, smiling widely.

"Yes, it appears so." Kami said, smiling.

Bulma was now finally beginning to get back to her own perceptive self and soon noticed someone was missing.

"Hey, where's Mr. Popo?" She asked, and everyone looked around the room. Indeed, the caretaker was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm right here, don't worry." was heard from behind Kami's bed, as the black genie carefully arouse back on his feet. He looked as if he'd seen better days, being still slightly dizzy with his eyes only half open; and his turban being slightly crooked on his head. Yamcha found this hilarious.

"Wow, Mr. Popo, did you pass out?" he asked, in a ridiculing matter. Hearing this aroused laughter among the people in the room, finally relaxing everyone. The poor embarrassed caretaker was guided to sit down by Tien Shinhan, as Bulma brought him a glass of water.

After Goku had stopped laughing he turned back towards Kami.

"When do you think the egg will hatch?" the child asked, excited.

"Time will tell. Hopefully, soon." the old Guardian said, the smile never leaving his face.

"It won't be long, I bet. His energy is now much stronger than last time I felt it."

Hearing this, everyone, including Kami, stopped laughing in wonderment.

"Wait, you're saying you felt the egg's, I mean the child's in the egg, energy already when it was still inside him?" Yamcha asked, voicing what everyone had been thinking in that very moment.

"Yeah? Why? Didn't you then?" he answered, being slightly confused.

Everyone was staring at one another in amazement and shook their heads.

Then Bulma spoke up.

"No, none of them did, not even Mr. Popo. My father also was unable to hear the baby's heartbeat…"

"…Which is explained by the baby being inside an egg." Dr. Briefs interrupted his daughter. "The stethoscopes I use are from my college days and aren't effective enough to hear through two "walls" at the same time. Kind of embarrassing now that I think about it, I shouldn't have suspected your story, Kami. If I hadn't, I would have brought up the sonogram instead… That most definitely would have been able to spot the egg inside."

"I understand. You don't need to worry about it, Dr Briefs." Kami said, smiling.

"But… How come only Goku was able to spot the child's energy?" Bulma asked, confused.

"Well, to be perfectly honest… I don't think any of us really tried that hard." Tien said, being slightly embarrassed. The others nodded at this.

"It's true. Goku's naïvité proved to be for his advantage this time. He felt the energy because he believed it to be there. None of us did, so we had no need to do so. Something so small can easily be dismissed when you're not really looking. I hope we all learned from this." Mr. Popo stated, the others nodding their heads held low.

"On another note, how are you feeling, Kami?" Dr. Briefs asked.

"Much better now, though still very tired. It was weird, you know. When this all happened… I could immediately tell what was going on when it started and I knew what I had to do. Like some primal instinct or something. And it all felt so natural to me, as if people of my kind were meant to reproduce this way. To be honest, now that I think about it, I think my evil half Daimao spawned his minions this way as well. But I never thought much about it, other than him likely only being able to do that was due to his evil nature. But maybe it wasn't entirely so."

He had a small pause, sighed, and then continued:

"Had I only realized this sooner… I would have done this a long time ago."

Then something suddenly caught Kami's attention. The egg he was holding seemed to twitch and turn.

And not long after, a crack was heard.


End file.
